A scheme to smuggle men abroad was uncovered in Kyiv
In the capital, law enforcement officials dismantled a group that, according to the investigation, had organized the illegal smuggling of men subject to military conscription across the state border. The operation was carried out by border guards in conjunction with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Police.
Law enforcement officers detained three key participants in the scheme. According to the investigation, the organizer was a 33-year-old native of Cherkasy Oblast, who devised the mechanism for illegal departure, recruited accomplices, and coordinated their activities. He enlisted the administrator of one of Kyiv’s hostels and his assistant in the illegal scheme; they sought out “clients” and collected payments from them. Two other participants ensured the men’s transport to the state border and accompanied them during their attempts to cross illegally.
The cost of such “services” ranged from 9,000 to 14,000 U.S. dollars. The organizers received the bulk of the funds during the initial meetings, and the final payment took place immediately before departure from Kyiv to the site of the illegal border crossing.
The suspects were detained while receiving a portion of the payment from another “client.” During searches, law enforcement officers seized 10 cell phones used in the illegal activities, as well as cash in various currencies, likely obtained through illegal means.
The three suspects have been notified of charges under Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Efforts are currently underway to identify other participants in the scheme and document their illegal activities.
These comprehensive operations, carried out with the assistance of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, were conducted by officers of the SBU Main Directorate in Kyiv and the Kyiv region in cooperation with the National Police, under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General.
This was reported by the Western Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine—Western Border.
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